GOOGLE UNVEILS TOOLS TO CRACK DOWN ON PIRACY; VIACOM "DELIGHTED" (MW, NYT, WSJ, AP)

By Nancy Vialatte

Google yesterday unveiled new technology which will prevent illicit access to copyrighted material on YouTube. The move is an attempt to defray an ongoing spat with large media companies that has resulted in a $1 billion lawsuit brought by Viacom.

The new technology can identify video content owned by media companies and dictate its usage on YouTube. However, it can�t stop the posting of potentially infringing content, and it leaves much of the work of identifying content up to media companies.

Copyright owners must first upload their movies, TV shows and other video content to a Google database. The video content is then broken down into data points and analyzed, so that any matching, infringing versions that get posted can be automatically identified, explains MarketWatch.

YouTube product manager David King said that while the technology cannot yet prevent copyrighted content from being posted initially, it can pull flagged content off the site "in a matter of a few minutes."

Viacom general counsel Michael Fricklas released a generally positive initial assessment of the new technology in a statement: "We're delighted that Google appears to be stepping up to its responsibility and ending the practice of profiting from infringement," Fricklas said.

Google said nine media companies have been testing the technology, including Time Warner, CBS and Disney. "We need them to help us to help them," King said.

Google called the tests �promising� but would not say how effective the system was. Just last week, its chief executive, Eric E. Schmidt, said that developing a system that could identify video clips with 100 percent accuracy was virtually impossible. �The question is, Can we get to 80 or 90 percent?� Mr. Schmidt said in an interview with a group of reporters. (NYT)

Despite the new technology, Viacom's suit is still tentatively headed for trial.

Meanwhile, the Brits are not pacified. �I think this is a completely inadequate solution,� said Louis Solomon, a partner in Proskauer Rose, which represents the Football Association Premier League of England, a lead plaintiff in a class-action copyright suit against Google. �It is too late in coming; it offers too little protection; it gives YouTube and Google content that they don�t need and shouldn�t have.�

The MPAA, which has also sued Internet companies for hosting pirated content, sounded a somewhat positive note about Google's new effort.

MPAA spokeswoman Kori Bernards said that, "While we've not yet had a chance to evaluate this specific technology, we support any and all efforts to provide consumers with legitimate content and protect copyright."

YouTube's announcement Monday may have been designed to pre-empt a planned announcement from several media and technology companies for a set of principles for user-generated content Web sites. The principles, according to people familiar with the matter, included a recognition of the importance of technology to keep pirated material off sites like YouTube. (WSJ)

King said that Google had actually been developing the technology for years before its acquisition of YouTube. After that, King said, "we really ramped this up as a priority." King acknowledged that the technology requires a great deal of work by media companies. (MW)

Related Links

Google unveils copyright protection tools (MW)
Google Takes Step on Video Copyrights (NYT)
Google Unveils Bid To Halt Video Piracy (WSJ, sub)
YouTube unveils anti-piracy tools (AP)